


boy problems

by ginevraknifehands, spudbud



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Again, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Friends to Lovers, I mean technically it's in Republic City but also they have cell phones and computers, M/M, Mentions of sex but no actual sex, Roommates to dating, So much flirting, and let's be real they've been dating the whole time, because they're in love, he just likes wu so much, oblivious wu, pining Mako, so much texting, wu dates a lot of terrible men but always comes back to mako
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:00:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27532648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ginevraknifehands/pseuds/ginevraknifehands, https://archiveofourown.org/users/spudbud/pseuds/spudbud
Summary: boy problemswu’s got ‘emmako’s got ‘em tooOr: Wu keeps dating assholes, and Mako is the one who has to pick up the pieces.
Relationships: Mako/Prince Wu (Avatar), Prince Wu (Avatar)/Original Character(s)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 259





	boy problems

Mako already has the tea steeping.

He has Wu’s arrival down to a science at this point. He can tell from Wu’s texts exactly how long it’s going to take him to get home from his latest terrible date. He knows what kind of tea Wu likes to sip with his slim hands wrapped around the mug for warmth while he debriefs on why this one was terrible just like all the others.

Mako has work to do while he waits so at least he’s not just sitting there alone at their kitchen table waiting for his roommate to get home. He has a little desk into the corner of their living room for exactly this purpose: case files, brought home from work to look over when he isn’t surrounded by the chaos of his office.

He’s just opening his latest file, someone accused of fraud with very little evidence to back that up, when Mako hears the familiar scrape of Wu’s keys in the lock.

Wu pushes open the door with a suitably dramatic groan that is definitely just for Mako’s benefit. Wu trudges into the kitchen, shrugging off his jacket. “I’m back,” he calls out and drops into his preferred chair at their kitchen table 

Mako closes his laptop and pushes himself up from his desk and padding into the kitchen to assess the damage.

“Hey,” he says quietly, taking in Wu’s limp hair and strained half-smile. The texts he’s been getting all night were noncommittal but Wu looks kind of exhausted. Something must have happened between his last text and the end of the date.

Grabbing the teapot from the counter, Mako pulls down Wu’s favorite mug, and pours them both a cup. Wu’s is much bigger than his. He likes the novelty mugs that he can wrap both his hands around.

Wu narrows his eyes at Mako. “You’re still working.”

Mako narrows his eyes right back as he slips into the seat across from Wu and pushes his mug over. “What else was I supposed to do? We have too many cases and I’m in court all next week.”

“Bake,” Wu suggests, dragging the mug in toward his chest. He takes a deep breath and sighs. “Or read. Or anything but work overtime that you’re not paid for.”

“I already made dinner and none of my holds are active yet,” Mako says dryly. He nudges his foot into Wu’s under the table. “Must’ve been bad if you’re avoiding talking about it.”

Wu groans, his shoulders hunching. “So bad! He was incredibly boring, and then he had the gall to grope my ass after we left the restaurant! I don’t fuck on the first date. Anymore.” He huffs.

Mako does try to keep the scowl off his face, but he doesn’t quite succeed. He hides it in his mug instead. “Even if he’d been interesting that disqualifies him.”

“Ugh, I know,” Wu sighs, his head hanging. “So presumptuous. And he didn’t ask me anything about myself!”

Which is one of Wu’s least-favorite and most-common date things. “Told you not to go out with him.”

Wu pouts at him, with his big green eyes and soft looking lips. It’s one of the expressions Wu makes that makes Mako squirm. “I know. Like, how can they act interested in me and know nothing about me!”

“Maybe you give them enough without them asking,” Mako points out, and drinks some of his tea so he stops looking at Wu’s mouth, which he is absolutely not supposed to be doing.

“I am fascinating,” Wu muses, humming as he takes a sip of his own. “Or maybe they only care about themselves.”

“It’s that one,” Mako says immediately. “That’s how you know they’re a jerk.”

“You say they’re all jerks,” Wu points out. He pouts again. “You don’t think I’m fascinating, Mako?”

“Because they’re all jerks,” Mako mutters around the rim of his mug. “Watch him text you saying he had a great time. And I already know everything about you.”

Wu shoots him a glare that has no heat to it. “He probably will. I bet tomorrow morning, too early. And you don’t know everything about me. I’m a very complex person.”

“Alright,” Mako says, dry, biting down on a smile, “tell me something I don’t know.”

Wu blinks at him. “Uh… hm. I don’t know!” he leans in a little, “ask me a question.” 

Mako does know a lot about him. They’ve been living together for almost half a year now. He knows what kind of tea Wu likes and exactly how long it takes him to leave for work and the depths of his love for terrible rom-coms.

“Okay,” Mako says after a moment, meeting his eyes, “Are you happy with your life right now?”

That seems to take Wu aback. His lips part and he stares at Mako for a second before sitting back in his chair, “huh. That’s, that’s a good question.”

“The dates, and your job, and,” Mako waves a hand around them, indicating their kitchen full of warm yellow light. It’s late enough in the day and in the year that it’s pitch-black outside, narrowing the world down to this little room. The air smells like the chamomile-peppermint-jasmine blend Wu likes this late at night.

“The dates could be better,” Wu says slowly. “I… I like my job. And I really like living with you,” his lips flicker, “you know I was worried about having a roommate but you,” he points a finger at Mako, “exceed expectations.”

“Because I make you tea and let you eat the food I make?” Mako guesses, smiling over the rim of his mug.

“Well, yeah,” Wu laughs, soft and easy, “and I like you. You’re fun to hang out with.”

That might be the first time anyone’s ever told Mako that, now that he thinks about it, which is definitely why his face is heating up a little and not because Wu is laughing and telling him that he likes him. 

“Why were you worried?” Mako asks a moment later to distract himself.

Wu shrugs a shoulder. “I’m… particular. And I hog the bathroom.”

“Could be worse,” Mako snorts. “You could be Bolin and just leave your clothes and dishes everywhere.”

“I would never,” Wu laughs, shaking his head. He treats his clothes like children. They have names and schedules and specific ways to care for them. “So, I guess I am for the most part. Happy.”

“Besides your terrible dating life,” Mako fills in, smiling. “How long until this one started tanking?”

“Maybe… fifteen minutes? Better than last time,” which had gone bad after two, and Wu had come home early.

“Why stick it out?” Mako asks.

Wu just sighs into his mug, waving one slim hand. “I really love that restaurant, even the company couldn’t totally ruin that. Hopefully the one I have tomorrow isn’t as awful,” He huffs and takes a long, slow sip of his tea, steam curling up into his face.

“Already?” Mako watches the ends of his hair curl up with it, like they want any excuse to get out of their perfect styling. He spends hours on his hair alone. Mako thinks it looks better with the hint of curl.

Wu shrugs a shoulder. “He’s really cute, and he invited me on his boat.”

“Oh, no,” Mako sits up a little straighter, his eyes narrowing. “That’s a bad sign. You know that. Come on.”

“I’m not giving up a day on a boat because of your prejudices,” Wu waggles a finger at him. Mako prods him under the table and grins at his affronted sound.

“They’re not prejudices,” he says after a second, all false haughtiness. “They’re facts.”

Wu nudges his leg back. “Here are some facts for you, Mako: It’s going to be a beautiful day. This man is very handsome and very rich, and he’s going to take me out in the bay. I’m going to get one last day to look very cute in my shorts before autumn hits.”

Mako shoves away the image of Wu in his shorts, which he’s going to have to judge tomorrow anyway because for some reason Wu insists that Mako look at all his date outfits even though he thinks Mako’s fashion sense is “nonexistent” and “a tragedy.”

“Right,” Mako says, instead, trying not to think about Wu’s legs, “and here are some other facts: people with boats are assholes, full stop.”

“Asami has a boat,” Wu counters, leaning in over the small table.

“Asami built her boat,” Mako says dryly as he leans on his elbows, meeting Wu’s eyes. “Did this guy build his boat? Does it qualify as a yacht? How many times did he bring it up in your conversation?”

“He didn’t build it. Just because your ex is perfect, doesn’t mean that everyone can be, Mako,” Wu teases, “oh, wait, you broke up with her. So not so perfect after all.”

“I broke up with her because we didn’t work,” Mako tells him with a snort, “not because she wasn’t perfect. Don’t blame me when boat guy turns out to be a bigger asshole than the one tonight.”

Wu, very maturely, sticks out his tongue at Mako in response.

* * *

Boat guy is definitely a bigger asshole. Wu started texting Mako only an hour after he left home, on what is supposedly a most of the day date. He’s out with Korra and Asami and he’s sort of glad when his phone buzzes. Not because he doesn’t like hanging out with them, but because they’re pressed together on the other side of the table laughing and Mako really hates being a third wheel.

Wu: _Ugh, okay. You win. Boat guys are the worst_  
Wu: _But at least I look cute_

He sends Mako a picture of himself in a big hat, leaning on the prow of the boat, his thin chest bare.

He does look cute. The sun is shining on his bare shoulders, making him practically glow, and he’s grinning wide with his dumb perfect teeth, and Mako’s heart does a ridiculous little flip.

What kind of roommate is he, to have all of these feelings? Wu has no idea. It’s probably creepy and Mako definitely shouldn’t be feeling this way, but then Wu will do something like send him a picture of himself on a boat and Mako’s left staring at it, helpless and wanting.

“Is that Wu?” Korra demands, and before Mako can do anything she reaches across the table and yanks his phone free. “Wow. He’s really going for it. Where is he?”

“On a date,” Mako answers without thinking as Korra shows the picture to Asami. “With a guy who has a boat.”

“Gross,” Asami says immediately, wrinkling her nose. Because she is a better friend, she takes the phone from Korra and graciously hands it back to Mako so he can answer before Wu blows up his phone.

Mako: _And what did you learn from this?_

Wu: _That I should get my own boat so I don’t have to date assholes with boats_ 🍑 🛥

Mako: _I was going for “a full day date where you’re trapped in a small space with someone of unknown asshole status far away from civilization is a terrible idea” but yeah, okay. Asami would probably let you borrow hers._

Wu: _Hmmmm no didn’t learn that one. I’m enjoying my day on the boat_ 🛥 _He’s talking about something_ 🗣🗣 _and I just say uh huh every once in a while and eat all the shrimp_ 🍤

Mako snorts. Wu is the only person he knows besides Bolin who uses emojis like punctuation. He told Wu once that it makes him sound like a wine aunt. It only made it worse: for about a week after that Wu used exclusively emojis until Mako was forced to apologize.

Mako: _That’s a bonus of not wanting to kiss him, I guess. Eat all the shrimp you want. If he starts talking about anything involving being alone out there or far away from everyone call me immediately._

Wu: _Bonus of having a lawyer best friend, I know you’ll prosecute my killer_  
Wu:   
Wu: _Wow morbid_  
Wu: _Anyone who wants to kiss me has to be fine with shrimp breath anyways_

Mako: _DON’T joke about that. You are literally on a boat with an asshole. Remember the self-defense moves I taught you. Use his weight against him if he tries to throw you overboard._

Wu: _You joked about it first!!!!_ 🔪🔪  
Wu: _And I do remember. I remember that you threw me on the ground_ 😞 

Mako: _It was not a joke, it was a reminder / warning._  
Mako: _And I already gave you apology tea for that._  
Mako: _Also the point was to teach you how to counter that exact thing so I’m not really sorry about it._

Wu: _Why are guys such assholes anyway? Maybe my life would be easier if I was straight_ 👫

Mako: _Asami used to say the same thing about being queer until she figured out she actually was. You’re probably right. Maybe that’s why I stick to dating women._  
Mako: _I can’t really imagine that._

Wu: _Right?! I could never_  
Wu: _Never thought I’d be jealous of a straight guy_

Mako lets out a slow, careful breath, frowning down at his phone. Korra makes a questioning little sound, but thankfully their food shows up—finally—before she can ask about it, which gives Mako enough of a break to think about this.

He could have sworn he’d told Wu.

Sure, he tends to avoid talking about his own dating life—Wu is the one who actively goes on dates—but he’s known Wu for almost a year.

“Mako?” Asami’s voice is a bit concerned. Mako glances up and shoves his phone away, shaking his head.

“It’s nothing.”

Maybe he hasn’t told Wu.

That would make sense, the more Mako thinks about it. He’s never dated a guy while he’s known Wu. His only notable relationships were with Korra and Asami, and those ended terribly and he works too much to have anything like a dating life, and Wu doesn’t ask much about Mako anyway which mostly Mako is grateful for.

He finishes his salad before he picks his phone up again and sucks in a bracing breath.

Mako: _I’m not straight, but you can still be jealous that I’m not interested in assholes._

Wu doesn’t answer him right away this time, but those three dots appear and disappear a few times. Mako isn’t the type to watch for a response, usually.

Wu: _So you’re not-an-asshole sexual_  
Wu: _I’m jealous anyways_  
Wu: _I wish I could date a nice person for once_

Mako wishes that, too.

It’s hard to see Wu get so excited about these dates. He pretends he’s not—he pretends he’s above it, that he’s just going to see what happens or to get a free meal but Mako watches him get his hopes up again and again and list all the reasons that this one is a different flavor of jerk than all the other guys he goes out with, so he’ll be different.

And then he comes home exhausted and sad and Mako has to pick up the pieces until he’s okay enough to try again.

There exists in Mako a determined little voice that will sometimes provide him with thoughts like I’m nice and I’d go out with you, but Mako can’t say those things. Wu’s not interested, and more importantly, Mako doesn’t want to ruin the little bubble they’ve created for themselves. He likes his roommate and his life. He isn’t going to mess up another friendship that way.

So he texts instead (knowing he’s being a bad friend, but it’s better than trying to interject with whatever Korra and Asami are laughing about now): _You have the power to make this happen for yourself. Here’s a tip: if they have a boat, don’t go out with them._

Wu: _I’ll take this under consideration_

Which means he won’t at all.

Wu: _At least I have you to entertain me_

Mako: _Yeah, I’m notoriously entertaining._

Wu: _Now what have we said about self deprecating humor, Mako?_

Mako rolls his eyes, even though Wu isn’t there to see it. 

“Wu’s not allowed to date men with boats,” he informs Asami, who just nods.

“I have a boat and I understand what that says about me.”

“Does that mean I’m not allowed to date you?” Korra asks with a pout. Asami laughs, bright and warm, and leans in to press a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth.

Mako barely stops himself from rolling his eyes, biting down on a smile.

Mako: _Says the man who has literally called me boring, to my face._

Wu: _I’m allowed to. You’re not_ 🙅♀️

Mako: _This is an unfairly-applied standard._

Wu: _Yep. Like how I won’t date assholes, but I’m happy to have an asshole as my best friend_  
Wu: _This is good for you, don’t try to change it_

Mako: _Are we sure you “won’t date assholes” because you’ve been on a lot of dates with a lot of assholes recently._

Wu: _You make a good point_  
Wu: _Are my standards really this low…._  
Wu: _At least he has a boat_ 🛥 🛥

It’s a very low bar.

Mako does roll his eyes this time and pushes his phone face-down on the table to actually pay attention to Asami and Korra. Work’s been busy enough that he hasn’t actually seen them in a few weeks, and next week won’t be any better. Three court days in a row, and never enough time to prepare for the people who are counting on him. Mako is exhausted just thinking about it.

It’s nice to be out with them again, laughing like they’re still in school. No matter how much things change, no matter that Mako’s gone from broke law student to broke lawyer, he’s always glad that they’re in his life.

And he’s a lot more relieved than he should be when Wu texts again around 4 to tell Mako that he’s ditching and that he’s very hungry.

* * *

Wu goes out with boat guy again. He has a name, but Mako hasn’t bothered to learn it. He's boat guy, and he's an asshole, and for some reason Wu is giving boat guy his time. 

Wu said something about an expensive gala ticket, and had dressed up in one of his (many) best suits, looking very put-together. The jacket, a dark green thing with a sheen to it, fits his shoulders perfectly and nips it at his narrow waist, and his legs look ridiculously long.

It had taken Mako a second to answer Wu’s how do I look question because he had to get his head working again.

“Uh,” he’d said, his mouth a little dry, “great. Gala-worthy.” Better than boat guy deserves, Mako still thinks.

But it was enough for Wu, apparently, because he’d been out the door a second later with instructions not to wait up.

Mako waits up anyway.

He makes his own dinner, a too-spicy noodle thing that Wu would never tolerate, and settles in with more of his cases because there are never enough hours in the day to actually do them. It doesn’t matter that Mako isn’t getting paid for all of this non-office, non-courtroom time. The cases are worth it, and it’s the only way he’s going to stay on top of his work.

Wu texts him much less this time, but it’s probably because he’s at a party, and if there’s one thing Wu loves, it’s parties.

Mako makes himself a pot of tea and tries not to look at his phone too much as he sinks into his cases, too-aware of the silence of the apartment around him.

It’s past midnight when Mako finally hears keys in the door. Wu’s clearly trying to be quiet and failing. After the third scrape, Mako pushes himself up from the couch with a soft groan—his legs are numb and tingling from being in the same position for so long—and goes to tug open the door for him. Wu stumbles into him, keys digging into his ribs. 

“Whoa,” he blinks and looks hazily up at Mako. A silly smile spreads over his face. “Mako! You’re here!”

“I live here,” Mako says, wrapping both hands around Wu’s biceps to keep him from swaying into the doorframe. Wu laughs, shaking his head.

“You’re here-here! Right here,” he says, watching Mako with something like amazement. Glassy-eyed and flushed, Wu is braced on Mako, his hands warm and his hair an absolute mess. Mako wants to kiss him.

“You’re drunk,” Mako says instead, wincing at the pins racing along his skin, and tugs Wu over the threshold into their apartment. “Good gala? How’d you get home?”

“Car,” Wu says vaguely, letting go of Mako to drop onto a chair. He tries to take off his shoes, but misses his feet a few times first. “It was good! Really good. Good food, lotsa booze.”

Mako bites down on a laugh as Wu almost falls forward aiming for his shoe. “Let me, you’re going to kick yourself. Boat guy drive you?”

“Nah, too drunk, too touchy,” Wu sighs, leaning back in the chair with a soft thump. “Took a Cabbage Car.” Mako tugs off his very expensive loafers one at a time and pushes them under the coffee table to deal with in the morning, then settles back on his heels, looking up at Wu.

“Worth it, though?”

Wu bobs his head, his eyes fixed on Mako. There’s a soft smile on his lips that makes Mako’s heart skip. “Yeah. Yeah, it was good. Oh!” He laughs and slips a hand into the inside pocket of his jacket. “Look what I got!”

He pulls out an envelope and pushes it into Mako’s hands.

“Tickets,” Mako says, surprised, as he tugs the little cards free. The text is looping and curling, some show Asami was talking about the other day. “This show isn’t even playing for the public yet.”

“Preview tickets!” Wu laughs, swaying into Mako. His hands land on Mako’s shoulders. “Boat guy probably thinks I’ll take him because he bought them, but he gave them to me, so,” Wu’s smile is too wide, his teeth flashing.

Mako doesn’t even try to hide his little snort of laughter, even as he reaches up to steady Wu in the chair. “So you’re not taking him, then. He’s gonna passive-aggressively text you.”

“Whatever,” Wu waves a hand and almost hits Mako in the face. “Oh, oops. Uh, you should come. To the play.”

Mako’s breath catches, which is stupid, because Wu is drunk and inviting him only because he doesn’t want to go with boat guy. “Yeah? I don’t know if I have anything fancy enough for a preview.”

“Wear a court suit,” Wu laughs and he’s so close, close enough to kiss. 

But he’s drunk. And he was just on a date with someone else. And Mako is his friend, his roommate, not his boyfriend. 

He leans back out of Wu’s space, which is hard because Wu half-follows him out of the chair, laughing at his own unsteadiness. 

“You’re a mess,” Mako tells him, a little too fond, and shoves himself to his feet with a hand out for Wu. “C’mon.”

Wu takes his hand and lets Mako pulls him up. He’s so light, but he sways in against Mako. “Mm, you’re warm.” 

Mako has to laugh at the slur in his words or else he’s going to do something dumb. “Go get changed. I’ll make you tea. Need water or you’re gonna regret it tomorrow.”

Wu nods against him, but stays there for a long moment before he pulls back, suddenly looking more sober. “Yeah, yep, you’re probably right.”

“I’m definitely right,” Mako informs him, and turns Wu around toward their bedrooms.

“Uh huh,” Wu breathes, and lets Mako nudge him back to his room. 

He’s out before Mako can even make tea, but Mako does pull Wu’s fancy puffy duvet over him for the night.

And Wu does take him to the play.

It’s a boring play, but it’s a fun night all the same because Wu whispers commentary in his ear and then drags him to get fries and spends half an hour simultaneously singing its praises and tearing it apart. Mako ends up laughing hard enough that he gets sake all over himself, which makes them both laugh harder.

Mako is very glad Wu took him and not boat guy.

* * *

Ordinarily, Wu has texted him by now.

After the play Wu’s work got busy, too, which meant a date hiatus until some guy had messaged him out of the blue, with, surprisingly, not a dick pic.

Mako usually knows how it’s going within the first half an hour.

It’s been an hour and a bit and his phone is still dark except for a few texts from Bolin about a video game he’s failing at.

Mako’s been trying to distract himself with a complex baking project but it clearly isn’t working because he’s been staring at his phone every several seconds.

Finally, at 7:34, he gives up and texts Wu:

_How’s this one doing so far?_

He doesn’t get a response until after 8pm: _Really good!!! Finally. I might not come home tonight_ 😘

“Oh,” Mako says aloud to his pastry dough, frowning down at the text.

That’s a good thing.

In theory. Wu’s been trying to find someone to go out with who isn’t an asshole for almost as long as Mako’s known him, and he’s been failing for most of that time. Mako’s told him before that he has bad taste.

And this latest one—some guy who works in finance, someone with money and power and a lot of shirtless pictures Mako didn’t really need to see—didn’t seem like he’d be any better.

And Mako has no claim at all on Wu’s nights or his dating life, so he isn’t allowed to feel the acid curl of jealousy twisting at his stomach.

He types out several texts back (That’s great and then if this goes well there will be a tart when you’re back) that he then deletes, and finally settles on: _Good luck. Send your ETA if you don’t come back, though._

Wu: _Yes yes I know. I’ll text you by 10 if I’m staying with this guy._

Mako: _That’s all I ask._

After another half hour he has to turn on music.

Mako isn’t usually a music guy but the apartment is so quiet, even with his ambitious tart to focus on. Wu fills the space up, normally, and without him there talking about his dates or his job or his Instagram following Mako is too aware of his own breath and the settling of the apartment around him.

He puts on the kind of stupid sugary pop that Wu usually listens to. It doesn’t take Mako’s mind off of Wu and wondering if he’s okay and why this date is different from the others.

His standards are pretty high. And they should be: he doesn’t deserve to be treated like crap like most of his past boyfriends apparently have. The stories Wu tells set Mako’s jaw on edge.

But whoever this is apparently exceeded those standards, and Mako should be glad for him. 

Mostly he’s lonely and wishes that Wu were here so Mako could make him tea and listen to the highlights. 

He finally gets a text at 10:08: _Yep, staying over. See you tomorrow!!!!!!!_  
Wu: 🍆🍆

Mako isn’t even going to try not to be jealous of this unknown person.

No one is here to see him scowling and flushed and angry, glaring down at his cooling tart and the sparkling kitchen. All he has to get right is his text back to Wu because he’s Wu’s best friend and Wu thrives off Mako’s support and he’s not going to ruin this no matter how much he wants to text Wu don’t do this, come home.

He doesn’t text Wu that.

He texts Wu a neutral Have fun. Finally not an asshole. What a night. with his heart somewhere in the vicinity of his toes.

Mako isn’t even really sure when he started feeling this way. When, exactly, Wu went from “my roommate” to “my best friend” to “the only person I actively want to be around.”

He suspects it’s been like this for a while. Mako didn’t notice it happening, but he did notice the first time his own fist clenched when Wu started talking about a date, and he sure as hell noticed the relief and happiness swirling through him when Wu would text this one’s a bust, coming home!

It’s definitely the reason that Mako stopped thinking of this place as my apartment and started thinking of it as home. That’s entirely because of Wu and the art he plastered onto the walls and the tasteful throw blankets on their couch and the fact that it’s their couch which they found on sale at a West Elm, argued over for two hours, and then ended up with after Mako haggled with the salesperson despite Wu’s insistence that you can’t just haggle over things in the 21st century.

He doesn’t hear from Wu again that night. The next morning, Mako goes out for a run instead of facing a Saturday morning without Wu there. Usually, Mako makes them pancakes and eggs and coffee and they laugh about whatever news Wu is scandalized this week and talk about what they’re going to do with their friends that night (usually karaoke). At least Saturday nights are sacred. Wu never goes on dates on Saturday nights, because that’s when they hang out with Bolin and Korra and Asami, and now Opal.

When Mako gets back, after running at least five more miles than he intended, the shower is running. Wu’s back.

Mako’s heart does a stupid little flip and then lodges itself very neatly in his throat. 

He tugs the headphones from his ears, sweaty and sticky and panting, and heads to their kitchen with his head oddly empty. It’s still early. Earlier than Wu usually likes to get up, and Mako doesn’t see any coffee cups on the counter, so he fills his ears with the sound of the coffee grinder and carefully doesn’t think about the way Wu usually wanders across their apartment with one towel around his slim hips and one wrapped around his head in that weird twist thing.

The shower turns off, and Wu takes his roughly ten minutes to ‘do his face.’ When the bathroom door finally opens, a cloud of steam puffs out with Wu and Mako has to look away because, yes, he’s still just wearing the damn towel, and he’s still a bit damp, and his hair is curling softly at the edges of his face like it always does after he showers off.

“Oh, hey!” Wu says brightly, grinning at Mako. Instead of heading for his bedroom, he walks right over to Mako, seeming to not care that he’s half naked. “I was wondering where you were.”

A small, shadowed bruise sits right at the base of his throat. 

It’s definitely a mark from last night, because it wasn’t there before. In fact, a few others trail along the narrow line of Wu’s shoulders, and Mako really shouldn’t be looking at him but he also can’t quite make himself look away.

“Buddy?” Wu laughs softly, then his eyes light up, “is that coffee?”

He reaches out for it, and the towel slips lower on his hips.

“Uh,” Mako swallows, wrenching his eyes away from the tiny curl of dark hair on his belly. He shoves the coffee into Wu’s hand hard enough it almost spills. “Yes. Yeah. This is. For you.”

Wu stands there, his smile falling a little. “You okay, Mako? Wait, did you miss me?”

Yes, Mako almost says, but he swallows around the word and makes himself smile instead. “Just came back from a run,” he offers as a very weak explanation. “And heard you in the shower.”

“You’re so sweet,” Wu brings the coffee to his face and sighs as he sniffs it. “Smells so good. I’m gonna drink this, then take a nap. It’s way too early, but Shan had to leave for a bachelor party,” Wu rolls his eyes at that. “Typical.”

Mako blinks at him. Maybe he hasn’t had enough coffee yet. Maybe he’s just distracted by that bruise and thinking about Shan’s mouth on Wu and how that shouldn’t bother him. “Is that typical?”

“Typical finance guy,” Wu shakes his head, but he’s smiling. Like he likes this Shan guy. Like he spent the night with him instead of coming home from his date to tell Mako all about it and then watch TV together.

“So it was,” Mako makes himself say, “good, huh. The date.”

Wu wavers for a second, then he’s down in his chair with a giddy grin, “it was so great! He’s so handsome, Mako. Like mover star handsome, and he’s really nice, and he was actually fun to talk to!”

Mako swallows. Hard. He really doesn’t want to hear about this but Wu looks so excited and never gets to actually talk about good dates.

He sinks into the chair opposite Wu and drags in a sip of his own coffee, sweet and milky and a little too hot. “So it is possible.”

“I guess it is!” Wu laughs, and launches into the story of his date. Apparently, Shan is tall and muscular and serious with a fun side. And apparently he had a very nice apartment. He’s rich and fashionable and everything Wu wants in a guy.

“He said this hilarious thing,” Wu says, and Mako resists the urge to let his head thunk onto the table as he launches into an exact retelling of Shan’s story.

By the time Wu is yawning, Mako has also learned that Shan goes to the gym five times a week and wants to rescue dogs and is basically perfect for Wu.

Mako’s stomach is sour.

“You need to nap,” he says quietly as Wu yawns again.

“Yeah,” Wu bobs his head, hair dropping over his forehead, “didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Mako glances, without meaning to, at the little mark again. “You don’t want to be sleep-deprived for tonight.”

“Oh, yeah! Karaoke,” Wu smiles tiredly. He pushes himself up from the table, holding onto the towel. “You’re gonna sing with me this time. No getting out of it.”

“Good luck with that,” Mako says blandly, meeting his eyes. “You haven’t succeeded yet.”

“It’ll happen someday,” Wu laughs, and he squeezes Mako’s shoulder as he walks past him to his room.

It probably will, is the thing. Mako has a hard time telling Wu no about silly stuff like that, as much as he hates being put on the spot for things like singing.

But Wu has Mako wrapped around his finger, and while Mako is fully aware of that, he isn’t sure Wu even knows.

* * *

For the next few weeks, Wu can only talk about Shan. He sees Shan more than once a week, and stays over nearly every time. It’s the most Mako has been alone in a while.

It kind of reminds Mako how terrible he is at being alone.

Mako likes the peace and quiet at first. He gets a lot done, and has the time and focus to tackle some stuff at work he’s been putting off and a few more complex baking projects that Wu is very complimentary of.

After about a week and a half, though, he gets sick of his own thoughts and of the silence, and keeps making too much food on nights that Wu’s with Shan.

Wu seems happy, is the thing. He smiles more and laughs a lot, even if he’s always on his phone, texting Shan. Mako tries to at least make himself happy for Wu, because he wants Wu to be happy. 

But it’s really difficult when all he can think about is how much he misses their routines, and all the space that Wu takes up in his life.

Wu still hangs out with him on the nights he’s at home, but it’s not the same. It’s not the same because half his mind is over with Shan, and he’s smiling because of Shan, and he keeps talking about Shan.

Wu’s out with Shan one night when Mako gets a text from Wu. He’s only been gone for half an hour. 

Wu: _He’s late, and I’m bored sitting here by myself_ 😞 

Mako’s stomach flips over.

Mako: _How late?_

Wu: _Ten minutes_  
Wu: _That’s not that late but he hasn’t even texted me_ 😞 😞   
Wu: _And I’m hungry_ 😭

Mako: _So order food. You don’t have to wait for him if he’s gonna be late for no reason._

Wu: _I guess I could………_  
Wu: _They do have really good fritters here_

Mako: _Order the fritters, Wu._

Wu: _Okay, ordered_  
Wu: _Do you think he’ll show up?_

Mako kind of hopes not, but that’s also a horrible thing to hope, because Wu’s been having such a good time. He can see the little frown on Wu’s face, tugging at the corners of his lips, just from the text.

Mako: _He’d better. Has he been late before?_

Wu: _A couple times, but he always told me by now._  
Wu: _It’s only been fifteen minutes. That’s not that bad….._

Mako lets out a small breath and lets his laptop drop shut. 

Mako: _Give him time. Stuff comes up. Maybe he’s driving and is being responsible._

Wu: _Maybe_

It’s all Wu sends for the next twenty minutes. Maybe Shan did show up after all. Mako resists the urge to ask for an update and goes back to his case. Or, he tries to. The words sort of bleed together, and he keeps glancing over at his dark phone screen, frowning. 

Wu doesn’t deserve to have people ditching him. Maybe Shan’s just as much of an asshole as the rest of them.

Finally, his phone lights up.

Wu: _I’m giving up. At last the fritters were good_  
Wu: _But I’m all dressed up. You wanna get a drink?_

Mako doesn’t even hesitate.

Mako: _Send me the name, I’ll come over now._

Wu sends him a bar that’s about a fifteen minute walk away. It’s one of Wu’s favorites, but is a little bougie for Mako’s usual taste. He likes the cheaper places where he doesn’t feel like one drink is his whole tab for the night.

It’s also the kind of place that needs a jacket, so Mako throws on the one he owns and shoves a hand through his hair, which only messes it up more. He’d spend more time on it but he has to remind himself: this is not a date, this is making up for a lack of a date, and Wu’s already had one person stand him up tonight. Mako isn’t about to be late.

He maybe jogs a little bit to get there earlier.

Wu is sitting at the bar by himself, leaning on his hand and swirling a straw around in a fancy cocktail. He looks up when Mako slips into the seat next to him and smiles weakly. “Hey, buddy.”

“No-show, huh,” Mako says quietly. “That sucks.”

Wu wrinkles his nose. “Ugh, I know! Still nothing,” he looks down at his phone with a sigh. Then he sits up taller and turns to Mako. “But at least I have you! What’ll you have? I’m buying.”

“You don’t have to,” Mako tries to protest, his breath catching as Wu meets his eyes. You do have me, he wants to say, but he swallows around those words and looks up at the menu. “Uh. I forgot how expensive this place is. Soju, I guess.”

“No, no!” Wu waves a hand at him, “what you actually want. I’m saving money on dinner, anyways.”

He does this, sometimes, these bursts of generosity aimed at Mako that he doesn’t really know how to deal with. Mako ends up letting Wu buy him some fancy sake cocktail with pepper-infused bitters in it, which he clinks against Wu’s own fruity thing. “I’m sorry your guy ditched you.”

Wu waves a hand, even though his lips curve down, “whatever. It was a matter of time.”

Mako frowns at him. “You’re just resigned to this happening now?”

Wu takes a sip of his drink before answering, slow, a bit resigned, “Yeah. I guess I am. It never works out for me.” There’s a bitter little twist to his mouth that doesn’t suit him at all, makes Mako want to reach out.

He hesitates, his hand hovering for a moment before he curls his palm around Wu’s wrist and squeezes. “Why’re you trying so hard?”

Wu looks down at their hands, a strange expression on his face. After a second, he answers, voice soft, “I don’t want to be alone.”

“You’re not alone,” Mako says with a small frown. 

“Yeah,” Wu lifts his head, looking at Mako with those big, sad eyes of his. “But what about when you get a girlfriend, or, or boyfriend, and I’m just… here. By myself.”

Wu has no idea how unlikely that is, recently, no matter how hard Mako is trying to make himself move on.

“Wu,” Mako says with his heart in his throat, “I’m not just going to abandon you like that.”

“You don’t know that,” Wu says, playing with the straw in his drink. “You might meet a girl and fall in love and move out, and then where am I? Where I was last year ago again.”

Mako nudges him a little harder with his elbow. “Even if that does happen, you’re my best friend. I’ll always be here.”

“Yeah?” Wu’s voice is soft and he meets Mako’s eyes again. His lips flicker in a smile, and then he nudges Mako back. “Okay. If I do ever get a good boyfriend, you’ll still come first.”

“I’ll take second,” Mako says dryly. “I know how you work.”

Wu laughs, his head dropping heavy and warm onto Mako’s shoulder. Mako can smell the cologne he put on earlier that he says Shan likes and the jasmine-tinge of his fancy soap.

Mako has to reach for his drink and take a bigger swallow than he means to, his heart pounding. Wu’s hair brushes softly against his throat as he shifts. “Thanks, Mako.”

“Anytime,” Mako lets himself wrap an arm around Wu’s thin shoulders, tugging him into a quick one-armed hug.

Wu’s mood lightens up after that, and he ends up buying them another round as the bar empties out around them. Wu stays close against Mako’s side, laughing over a flat-voiced story about a trial he led last week.

Mako’s heart is in his throat for most of the night.

* * *

Mako gets a text from Wu the next morning, when they’re both at work: _Shan called me, he said he had to take his dog to the emergency vet_ 🐶 🏥 _we’re going to go out tonight!!!!_

Be happy, Mako reminds himself, scowling at his phone. His head is aching, despite having practically drowned himself downing water this morning, and the office is too loud around him and he has a trial to prep for this afternoon. He shouldn’t be texting Wu.

Mako: _Is his dog okay?_

Wu: _Yeah she’s okay!! She has a cast now_ 😞 

He really is perfect for Wu. 

Mako spends the rest of the day immersed in coffee before he has to meet the defendant to go over their case one last time. Trial is exhausting as always and apparently is going to drag into the rest of the week because the jury is biased, which means all of Mako’s other cases are going to end up rushed, again.

Mako doesn’t see Wu that night. He only pops back to their apartment the next day before work with a bright smile and bags under his eyes. He gives Mako a quick hug before rushing to take a shower and get changed.

It doesn’t last.

That Friday, Shan stands Wu up again. And then again the next Wednesday. 

By end of that week, Wu is nearly inconsolable. He’s lying on the couch, staring up at the ceiling with his hair an unstyled mess, draped in his softest robe, which he put on as soon as he got home from the bar where Shan wasn’t.

“Wu,” Mako says for the third time, and then gives up trying to get his attention with words and just drops a plate of fried rice onto the coffee table. 

Wu blinks up at him. “Oh. Thanks.” His eyes are puffy and little red and Mako’s heart twists pointlessly in his chest. 

With a sigh, Mako wraps both hands around Wu’s ankles and lifts his legs up just enough that Mako can slip onto the couch with him. “You should eat.”

Wu groans, his heels digging into Mako’s thigh. “I know.” But he turns, curling into himself and the couch cushions.

Mako isn’t the most comforting person on a good day. He has no idea what to say now, when all he wants to say is I told you, and when the main thing he’s feeling is a guilty sense of relief.

He curls a palm around Wu’s knee and squeezes. “You know it’s for the best if he’s going to pull shit like this on you.”

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right,” Wu mumbles. “I just wish—I wish I didn’t drive everyone off.”

Mako tugs at his leg. “What are you talking about?”

Wu shakes his head, face hidden in the cushions.

“Wu,” Mako’s voice is low, a little too sharp, but he can’t quite keep down the frustration at Shan, mostly, for getting Wu’s hopes up. For making him feel that way. “You don’t drive everyone off, or I wouldn’t still be here. Don’t blame yourself for people being selfish.”

“Yeah,” Wu mumbles, “but you don’t wanna date me.”

Mako’s breath catches hard in his own lungs. 

He’s glad that Wu’s face is still shoved into their pillows, that Wu isn’t looking at him, because there’s no way his own rush of thoughts is anything close to hidden: I want to and I would, though, and I wouldn’t do this to you.

Mako swallows around all of it, shoving the feeling away as hard as he can. Wu was supposed to be on a date with someone else. He doesn’t need Mako’s feelings right now. He needs Mako’s support and reminder that he isn’t alone and that he doesn’t deserve this.

“I think,” he says, when he’s sure his voice is his own, “you put way too much stock in what these guys think about you.”

“What am I supposed to think?” Wu peeks up at him with a frown, “why else would someone ghost me this many times?”

“Because he’s a shithead,” Mako says dryly, and then, because Wu’s eyes are still wet with tears and he’s gorgeous even like this, “and a spineless coward. Either that, or he’s trying to keep you around without actually putting in any effort to make that happen. He’s not worth your time.”

Wu holds Mako’s eyes for a long moment, then falls to his back with a sigh. “You’re right. Of course you’re right, you’re always right,” he drags his hands over his face with a groan. “And I’ve ghosted enough of those assholes! Maybe I’m the asshole here.”

Mako snorts. “Here, no, but I bet boat guy’s still pining about the one that got away.”

“Probably still mad we stole his tickets,” Wu laughs. It’s weak, but it’s there, and it’s the first time he’s laughed all day.

Mako wonders when he started noticing things like that.

“Maybe you should take a break from dating for a little while,” he suggests after a moment, watching Wu’s face. “It’s not making you happy.”

Slowly, Wu nods. “Yeah. You’re probably right about that too.” He nudges Mako’s thigh with his toes. “Why’re you so smart, Mako?”

Mako bites down on a smile, aiming for somewhere serious. “I’m a lawyer. I went to school to be smart.”

“Guess it was worth all those student loans you have,” Wu laughs softly. He pushes himself up, finally turning to the plate Mako left him. “You wanna watch something stupid? No rom-coms.”

“Dumb action movie,” Mako suggests, because Wu is usually full of commentary about the thin plotlines and gets very invested in critiquing them. If there’s anything that will take his mind of the latest asshole in a string of assholes, it’s that.

Laughing, Wu leans into Mako’s side, curling his legs up under him as Mako looks for a movie. 

* * *

Wu makes an effort to seem okay over the next few weeks. He doesn’t go out on any other dates, and he doesn’t mention Shan again. He smiles and laughs and teases Mako like he usually does, but there’s something there, underlying those smiles, that bothers Mako.

He seems almost worn-down, or like he’s given up entirely. Mako can’t figure out how to ask in a way that doesn’t immediately catapult Wu back into a spiral of worrying something is wrong with him because he can’t make assholes fall in love with him.

Because he obviously can, or else what is Mako doing?

He is absolutely in love with Wu.

And he doesn’t know when that happened any more than he knows when Wu became his best friend, but once the words settle in his head, they don’t leave. Mako’s kind of an asshole, has been told that for most of his life, so it isn’t at all true that Wu can’t get assholes to fall in love with him.

It’s just that Wu can’t get the people he actually wants to fall in love with him, and Mako doesn’t know how to tell him that he deserves better, that he deserves someone who will put him first and that it doesn’t matter that there are legions of shitty people in this city who won’t give him the time of day because Mako is right here and will, apparently, drop most things to make sure Wu is okay.

But he doesn’t count, because he’s Wu’s roommate and not some guy on a dating app.

They fall easily back into their usual routines: Mako making coffee and Wu taking too long to get dressed and spending their evenings together watching TV or playing video games, Wu’s calves perched on Mako’s legs or his shoulder against Mako’s side.

He’s always been touchy, is the thing. Wu hugs almost everyone and is casual with little touches to fix Mako’s hair or a hand on his shoulder when he’s cooking and Wu is trying to steal some of the food. But it’s like he’s looking for more, now, like he’s pressing closer, looking for that comfort from Mako when he can’t get it from some guy from an app.

Mako can’t exactly tell him to stop, not after letting it happen for so long. He swallows around the constant rush of feeling and ignores the lingering heat of Wu’s fingers on his skin.

It is a lot easier said than done. Mako’s almost relieved when after nearly two months—when it’s dark and cold and their holiday plans have all passed—Wu pulls up his dating app one night and starts narrating the guys he’s seeing.

“Ugh, why are they all posing with fish? It’s not sexy to fish. It’s boring! And stinky,” Wu mutters, showing Mako at least six burly men holding up their catch.

“What,” Mako asks, trying to keep his tone dry, “you’re allowed to have shrimp-breath but your date can’t smell like fish? Prejudice.”

Wu sticks his tongue out at Mako. “Yeah, but I don’t go catch the fish. What, are they trying to show me that they can provide for me? No, thanks. That’s what money is for.”

Mako barely manages to keep his face straight. “They’re telling you they want you to be a trophy. Like the fish.”

“I’m no one’s trophy,” Wu sniffs, shooting Mako a glare, but he breaks into a laugh first before he goes back to determinedly swiping.

He holds up another one a few seconds later with a grimace.

“I swear I dated this guy last year. I totally did! He must have created a new profile. I bet there’s a story there.”

“Desperate,” Mako supplies, “or the last one was a fake.”

Wu just snorts and keeps scrolling until he makes a disgusted sound and says, “Ew, no. I already got three dick pics.”

“What? Why?”

“Because these assholes think I just want their cocks,” Wu grimaces. “No, thanks.”

Mako tries not to choke on his drink but it doesn’t quite work, and he ends up coughing and red-faced. Wu shoots him a grin that lingers for a moment too long before turning back to his phone.

“Oh this guy is cute… has a job, nice abs, hobbies—ah, there it is. He’s looking for a third. Nope.”

“Okay,” Mako finally says, a little hoarse, “you’ve been at this for an hour. There are no good guys on there. Clearly.”

Wu pouts, but he tosses his phone away, curling tighter in a ball under his favorite fluffy blanket on the couch. “You keep telling me not to date these guys. But if I don’t date them, there’s no one to date.”

“There’s people not on dating apps,” Mako suggests, and ignores the press of Wu’s foot into his thigh. Or, he tries to. It’s not quite working.

“Like who?” Wu mutters, picking at the fluff on the blanket.

“People met other people all the time before apps were a thing,” Mako points out, frowning. “I don’t know. That club you like?”

“You think people who go to that club are less of assholes?” Wu shoots back, poking him in the thigh. His palm stays there afterwards, and Mako’s breath catches hard enough he has to swallow to cover it up.

“I,” he starts, a little too quick, “I don’t know, Wu, I guess it depends on what kind of person you’re looking for. Obviously the app people aren’t doing it.”

Wu’s eyes are on his face, a small frown on his lips. “I’m looking for, for someone who likes me. Who likes being with me. Who I like spending my time with. That’s, that’s really it.” 

His hand is so warm on Mako’s thigh, hot from being under the blanket, and then he’s shifting closer to Mako to get more comfortable or something, and Mako’s heart flips over and he says, before his head catches up with the rest of him, “You have that already.”

The words hang in the air, heavy and present. 

Wu is quiet for a long moment. Too long. When Mako glances at him, Wu is staring at Mako, his lips parted.

“Uh,” Mako starts, his heart in his throat. “I mean.”

Wu’s brows furrow and he pushes himself up on his knees. “Yeah. Yeah, I have you, Mako, but you’re not my boyfriend.”

“No,” Mako agrees. It’s maybe the most pointless thing he’s ever said, and he blames nerves and his own tiredness and Wu’s stupid green eyes for making him continue, “I could be.”

“You could be,” Wu says weakly, then breaks out in a laugh, running a hand through his hair. His eyes are on Mako, a crease between his brows. “I guess you could be.”

“I’m not as much of a jerk as most of the guys you date,” Mako points out as nerves spark through him. Wu’s expression is giving him nothing, no indication of how he actually feels about the idea of dating Mako.

“No,” Wu murmurs, frown deepening. “Unless—are you messing with me?”

Mako’s breath huffs out all at once. His fingers twitch, and he lifts his hand, shoves his hand into his hair to give himself a second to think. “No. I mean it.”

“You mean it,” Wu repeats. His too-bright green eyes are focused on Mako. “You want to date me. Why?”

That was not the question Mako was expecting. How long, maybe, or are you sure you’re serious or maybe so how long until you can move out, but not that. 

“I—” He starts, and then presses his mouth shut, watching Wu. 

Because I’m in love with you is the real answer, but Mako can’t imagine actually saying that out loud, not right now. Not with Wu staring at him with all of that intensity.

He isn’t shutting Mako down, though. There’s that. Hope sparks somewhere in Mako’s lungs, sets his heart beating too-quick.

He curls his fingers into his own palm, a little centering, and tries again. “Because I like you a lot more than I should.”

There’s a careful blankness on Wu’s face that Mako hates. Like he doesn't want to let on anything he’s feeling, like he’s afraid of letting it show.

He usually doesn’t hide his feelings from Mako. He lets them show, lets them out into the small space they’ve claimed for themselves, this apartment that is just theirs, where they share their lives in a way that’s too intimate to be just friends.

“I thought you liked being single,” Wu says, his voice quiet.

“So did I,” Mako admits, “until I realized I basically wasn’t.”

Because the way they act, it’s not friendship. Mako knows too much about Wu, is too aware of him. Wu might go out on all these dates, but he always comes back to Mako. He always texts Mako first, shares everything with him, asks for his thoughts, his opinions, takes him to fancy plays and cuddles close to him. Wu is always first in Mako’s mind, the first person he wants to see, the first person he wants to tell about something that happened at work or to share a funny thing Bolin did with. He’s the person that Mako wants to be with, the majority of the time. And Mako likes being alone. But he likes being with Wu more.

He can’t keep ignoring that.

Wu makes a small noise and pushes up on his knees. He’s close, too close to Mako. He can feel Wu’s body heat.

“No, I guess not,” Wu murmurs. 

His eyes are dark. Mako is still under the weight of them, his breath trapped in his throat. Wu’s expression is still unreadable. 

He can see Wu swallow, his throat bobbing. “I think,” Wu says slowly, “I do like you.”

Mako meets his eyes. “Yeah?”

“You’re right, that I like spending time with you. And you like spending time with me. You’re always there for me, and I, I like that. A lot,” Wu says the words in a rush. “You put me first.”

“You deserve it,” Mako says quietly. His head is still a whirl but slowly, everything is quieting as the weight of Wu’s words settles. “And, you know. I’m a lot less of an asshole than Shan.”

“You just hate Shan,” Wu shoots back, but there’s a smile growing on his lips. He settles back on his heels, knees bumping Mako’s leg. “So, what now?”

“Shan is a dick,” Mako mutters, half-under his breath. He glances up, something warm and sure coalescing in him, and lifts a hand to curl his palm around Wu’s elbow, tugging lightly so he moves closer. 

“You’re kind of a dick,” Wu reminds him, but that doesn’t stop him from following Mako’s suggestion, his hand landing on Mako’s arm. He’s close now, his lips parted.

Mako sucks in a breath, watching Wu’s tongue dart out to wet his lips. “You like it,” he breathes, summons up everything in him that’s wanted to do this for months, and leans forward to kiss Wu. Wu gasps, but he doesn’t pull back. His hand tightens on Mako’s shoulder and he presses in.

Mako has thought about kissing Wu more than he should, but something about actually doing it is better than anything he’d guiltily imagined. Maybe it’s the way Wu makes a soft sound when Mako deepens the kiss, or feeling the softness of his skin so close to Mako, or the way he presses his fingers under the collar of Mako’s shirt. He’s real, and he’s here, and he’s kissing Mako like he wants to be doing just that, and the blanket slips off the couch and Wu doesn’t even seem to notice because he’s shifting closer as Mako’s hand drops to his waist.

He’s wearing one of the soft shirts he only wears indoors, and Mako doesn’t quite mean to press his hand up under it but the fabric slips along his fingers and then his palm is spread wide over Wu’s back and he’s groaning a bit, tilting his head to kiss Wu harder.

Wu ends up half in Mako’s lap, pushing him back into the cushions, his fingers in Mako’s hair, Mako’s arm around him, hand under his shirt, tangled in one another.

With a gasp and a groan, Wu pulls back, looking down at Mako with flushed cheeks and hazy eyes. “Oh, no.”

“What,” Mako gasps, half-alarmed as his head scrambles to catch up with the rest of him. He’s caught in the darkness of Wu’s pupils, his kiss-swollen lips. Mako’s wondered so often what he’d look like.

“We have to stop,” Wu breathes, but he doesn’t move to get off of Mako.

Mako’s alarm fades into something like confusion until Wu shifts and Mako’s breath catches.

He ducks his head with a soft huff of laughter. “Ah.”

Wu drops another kiss to Mako’s lips, and he probably meant it to be short, but they get caught in it again, which Mako can’t feel too bad about.

By the time they pull away—Mako, this time, because he’s half-hard in his jeans and Wu’s groaning against his mouth—they’re both panting, and Mako has to push his face into Wu’s shoulder to keep himself from kissing Wu all over again. 

“Fuck,” Wu breathes. After a second, he pushes himself up off of Mako and slaps him lightly on the chest. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?!”

“I didn’t know how!” Mako protests, catching at his wrists. Wu shifts a little and Mako has to bite down on another low noise, swallowing hard. “You should. Uh. Move.”

Wu groans and falls back to the other side of the couch, his chest heaving. His cheeks are red, but he’s smiling goofily at Mako. Mako tries not to look down, where Wu is obviously hard in his soft pants. “I always thought you’d be a good kisser.”

“You what,” Mako turns, and their knees brush and he pushes closer, almost helpless with it. Like he can’t stop himself from touching Wu.

“What?” Wu laughs, nudges at Mako’s thigh with his toes, “you have nice lips.”

“But you didn’t notice at all,” Mako has to ask, unable to keep the smile from his lips. Something in him has settled, curled up warmly like a fire. He curls his hand around Wu’s foot and holds it there, glad even for that contact. 

“Your lips? Clearly,” the smile is still there on Wu’s face.

Mako narrows his eyes. “That I—felt this way. You didn’t notice.”

“I,” Wu starts, dragging a pillow off the couch and into his lap. “I don’t think so. I thought, you’re just Mako. You’re like that. You’re nice and sweet and you pay attention to me. Like in a friend way.”

“I’m not like that,” Mako admits quietly. “Not with anyone but you.”

Wu stares at him again, like he was doing earlier tonight. Then he groans and pushes at Mako’s leg with his foot. “You can’t just say things like that!”

Mako just catches his ankle, grinning, sort of giddy with it. “Already did, not taking it back.”

“I want to kiss you again,” Wu covers his face with his hands, sinking down into the cushions. 

Mako can just see a hint of the color on his cheeks between his fingers. He wallows around the surge of heat and want and says, as casually as he can, “Come here.”

Wu’s eyes narrow, and he holds up a finger. “You know my rule.”

“You don’t fuck on the first date,” Mako says blandly, around the swoop of heat in his belly. “This isn’t a date.”

“That makes it worse!” Wu protests, pushing him with his foot again. “I want, I think we should take this slow. A little slow.”

“A lot slow,” Mako says after a moment, the words careful on his tongue. “I want to take you on a date.”

Wu nods slowly, then quicker. “Yeah. Yes. I want that.” His eyes flick over Mako again, then he pushes himself up. Hesitating for just a second, he gives Mako a quick kiss. “I’m gonna take a shower. So I don’t do something stupid.”

“I am going to sit here and not think about that,” Mako informs him, and pulls Wu down into one more lingering kiss before he lets go. 

Wu smiles wider, his fingers brushing Mako’s chest before he skips off toward the bathroom. “No jerking off on the couch,” he sing-songs before he snaps the door shut.

Mako groans and shoves his face right into his hands to hide the stupid grin from absolutely no one.

* * *

“I just realized,” Mako says as he steals a fritter from Wu’s plate, “you don’t have anyone to text updates to.”

Wu is distracted enough by that that he doesn’t make Mako put the fritter down. “You’re right! Who’s gonna bail me out if you’re a terrible date?”

Mako takes the opportunity, like a good date, to steal another one and pop it into his mouth. Wu’s right. These are really good. Mako would probably stay on a bad date just to eat more of them. “You’re gonna,” he swallows around his bites and grins, “have to bail yourself out. Make some excuse, leave through the bathroom window.”

“Hm, no,” Wu narrows his eyes, then pulls out his phone, thumbing through it. “I’m above sneaking out windows.”

“But not out of front doors while your date’s not looking,” Mako points out.

“That is a totally normal way to leave a date,” Wu counters. He tucks his phone back in his pocket, and Mako’s phone buzzes as Wu pops a fritter into his mouth.

It’s all a little fast—Mako only asked him out that morning over coffee—but they’re at one of Wu’s favorite restaurants, a tiny little ramen shop they go to all the time, and it turns out that being on a date with Wu is exactly the same as getting dinner with Wu except that Mako isn’t trying not to flirt with him.

Mako’s phone buzzes again. He narrows his eyes. “Is this a test?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Wu says lightly.

“This is absolutely a test.” Mako stares for a second longer, then gives up and picks up the phone. 

He has two texts from Wu:  
 _Wow this date is a bust, he didn’t even bother to brush his hair_ 💁♀️  
 _And he keeps stealing my food_

“It’s rude to check your phone during a date,” Wu says before Mako’s even finished reading the second one. His foot nudges into Mako’s calf under the table.

“You—” Mako starts, half-laughing, but he cuts himself off to kick Wu instead and very pointedly drops his head, staring intently at his screen as he types. Wu’s laughing, too, and clearly trying to stifle it.

Mako: _Sounds like an asshole. You should ditch him._

Wu tugs out his phone, his face impassive as he reads the text.

A moment later, Mako’s phone buzzes again.

Wu: _You think everyone I date is an asshole_ 🍑  
Wu: _I’ll give him one more chance, but if he steals another fritter………….._ 🙍♀️

“So,” Wu says, leaning in and fluttering his eyelashes, “you got any siblings?”

Mako meets his eyes, leans forward, and yanks another fritter off Wu’s plate.

“Wow,” Wu gasps, and reaches over to snatch it from him. “Alright, the bathroom window is waiting for you, buddy.”

“You wouldn’t,” Mako says, grinning. He lets Wu have the fritter—he didn’t really want it, mostly stole it to watch Wu’s face twist in mock-rage—and pushes his foot against Wu’s ankle instead. He hasn’t been able to stop smiling since they got here. Wu probably thinks he’s broken or something.

Wu narrows his eyes and unlocks his phone again.

Wu: _That’s it, I’m done_  
Wu: _I’d rather be home making out with you instead_ 😚😚

Mako: _Dates are overrated anyway._

Wu: _You asked me out_  
Wu: _Your bad_

“Oops,” Mako says, as dry as he can, and shoves his phone back into his pocket. “We all do things we regret.”

Wu shoots him a glare, and there’s a twist of his mouth that Mako doesn’t like. He lets out a breath and looks away. “Well. You can still back out.”

Mako frowns. “Wu. I’m not regretting this. I’m teasing you.”

Wu glances back at him. “You’re sure? You, you can back out. If you don’t want this.”

Ordinarily, Mako would feel bad, but he’s having a great time and Wu apparently also wants this enough that he’s offering Mako an out. “I asked you out. I told you I wanted to date you and then asked you out. I want this.”

“I guess,” Wu starts, wrinkling his nose, “I’m not used to having a good time on a date.”

“Yeah,” Mako says, a little softer. He holds out a hand, palm-up, watching Wu carefully. “I got that. Are you? Having a good time?”

“Yes,” Wu says immediately. His lips flicker in a smile and he drops his hand into Mako’s. “I am. And that’s why this is weird. You haven’t once tried to tell me about your boat or your investments.”

“That reminds me,” Mako says, biting down as hard as he can on his growing smile, “I invested a bunch of money and bought a yacht.”

“Uh huh, with what money?” Wu shoots back, squeezing his fingers.

“Cryptocurrency,” Mako says, or tries to. He only gets about halfway through the word before the laughter escapes, bright and sudden. “I can’t exactly get you preview tickets, and I think boat ownership is a waste of time and money. You okay with that?”

“I don’t actually care about those things,” Wu admits softly. “They were consolation prizes for shitty dates. I think I prefer just… dating someone I like.”

It’s such a small thing, the word like, and still heat swarms into Mako’s face and he has to look away, huffing softly. “I tried to tell you.”

“Don’t you I-told-you-so me,” Wu retorts with a laugh. He shakes his head, “I never found someone I liked. And, maybe,” he bites his lip, “maybe they all just paled in comparison.”

His voice is soft, and when Mako finally does meet his eyes again they’re just as soft, and for a second all Mako can do is sit there and watch him, helpless to the warmth curling up sharp and sweet through his lungs. 

“Well,” he finally says, his voice quiet, curling his fingers tight into Wu’s, “this was worth the wait.”

“It was?” Wu asks on a breath.

Mako squeezes his fingers tighter. “Definitely.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to our lord and savior carly rae jepsen for writing the song boy problems, the inspo for this fic


End file.
